Relax and have some pumpkin pie

This is one of those stories that points up why I am a conservative and not a libertarian. Conservatism has three pillars: free-market economics, a foreign policy based on what history tells us about the behavior of nation-states ("strong defense" for shorthand) and a fealty to the essence of Western civilization ("traditional values" for shorthand).
Conservatives are often taunted by those who aren't with scenarios along the lines of, "Hey, you guys with your purist free-market stance asked for Lady Gaga and cage fighting. If that doesn't fit with your cultural principles, that's up to you to deal with."
Well, along comes a story with similar implications. It seems a young man who works for Target was scheduled to clock in at 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is very special to him. He propsed to his fiance on Thanksgiving last year and her family was most excited to have him at the table this year. Alas, he'd have to spend the day sleeping if he adhered to his Target schedule.
Target, like a lot of store chains, is opening earlier for the holiday shopping season earlier than it ever did.
Enough, already.
Yes, I am aware that these companies are excited about the prospect of recouping profits they have not seen much of during a dismal year. But the whole point of human prosperity is to enable us to enjoy life, and the richest sense of the phrase "enjoy life" presupposes time spent with loved ones commemorating special occasions, engaging in rituals that express thanks to the Creator, laughing, eating the bounty of the harvest.
You cannot, in the end, have a truly vibrant economy in a society full of disspirited, empty automatons manically selling and buying an endless stream of gadgets, apparel and vulgar amusements. A free market uncoupled from a moral foundation will not last.
The young man has drafted and sent around a petition imploring Taget to keep Thanksgiving sacred. LITD likes this.
A Target spokesperson said that the young man is not currently scheduled to work on Thanksgovong or Black Friday. That's encouraging, but a bit tepid. It's corporate-public-relations-speak for "We don't want any bad publicity, so we've changed the guy's schedule in hopes that this will all go away quietly."
Here's a novel question: Would we all not perhaps prosper a bit more - in the richest sense of the term - if we as a society slowed down enough to savor the specialness of days like Thanksgiving and the opportunity it offers for us to reflect on what we truly need, and thereby see more clearly what we don't?